Flush valve device



S p 1967 R. L. SCHULTZ E AL FLUSH VALVE DEVI CE Filed July 29, 1965 "LLLII INVENTOR R obert L. Schultz 8 Larson Harold F.

@i I ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed July 29, 1965, Ser. No. 475,831 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-63) This invention relates to valve apparatus, more particularly, the invention relates to flush valves in toilets and other plumbing equipment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel flush valve mechanism, which will open and close in a positive operation, and which requires a minimum amount of adjustment and maintenance.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel pivotally mounted spring biased tank ball to open and close the flush valve and which may be adjusted to variations in the spring tension.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel pivotally mounted tank ball mechanism which may be adjusted to various types of flush valves.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tank ball flush valve invention mounted to a conventional toilet to open and close the flush valve.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the flush valve invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the flush valve invention.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flush valve invention taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Briefly stated the invention comprises a pivotally mounted tank ball adapted to open and close into the seat of the flush valve to open and close the flush valve, said tank ball being spring urged into a closed position and having a pair of rods extending in perpendicular relation to each other with weights threading onto the rods to counter balance the springs and thereby adjust the action of the springs in opening and closing the valve.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in FIGURE 1, a conventional toilet 20 is illustrated having a conventional water tank 21 with sides 21' and a bottom wall 21", with the flush valve invention 22 operatively installed in the tank to the bottom wall 21 of the tank of the toilet.

The flush valve invention 22 comprises a flush pipe 23 which extends downward through the bottom wall 21 of the toilet tank 21 into the toilet bowl, which allows water in the tank to drain or flush down into the bowl from the tank to flush the toilet.

A conventional rubber tank ball 24 is seated over the annular tapered opening 25 at the top of the pipe 23 and acts to open and close'the opening 25 in the pipe and thereby control the flow of water from the tank through the pipe 23 into the bowl. The pipe 23 also has an over flow tube or pipe 26 which bypasses the opening 25 and allows water to flow down the overflow pipe 26 into and through the pipe 23 and into the bowl, when the water level in the tank goes above the open top 26' of the pipe 26.

The rubber tank ball 24 is of a conventional type having opposed conical surfaces 24 and 24" with a hollow interior and an open bottom 27, which gives it buoyancy. A threaded bolt 28 has its upper end 28' passing through a bore 29 in the top of the ball 24 and an enlarged head 3,341,863 Patented Sept. 1%, 1967 28" on the bolt is of greater diameter than the bore 29 to suspend the tank ball on the head of the bolt.

The bolt 28 is threaded through an elongated bracket 30 having an L-shaped cross-section to fix the bolt 28 to the bracket. The bolt extends downward from the bracket a small distance so that the tank ball is free to slide up and down on the bolt a short distance as well as swing a limited amount, for easier sealing of the tank ball.

A hollow sleeve 31 is threaded over the top of the bolt 28 and the sleeve has a rigid loop 31' fixed on its top. A rigid metal rod 32 has a loop 32' at its lower end which loops through the loop 31' to provide a swinging connection between the rod 32 and the bracket 30, with the tank ball 24 suspended therebeneath.

The L-shaped bracket 30 is pivotally mounted to move circumferentially about the axis of shaft 33, to thereby pivot up and down and thereby pivot the tank ball 24 suspended thereto upward and downward about the shaft 33. A pair of metal rods 34 and 35 are welded to the L- shaped bracket 30 at their one ends 34 and '35 and are fixed to a L-shaped bracket 36 at their outer ends in adjustable relation by means of a pair of clips 37 and 38 which have curved portions 37' and 38 which curve over the ends 34" and 35" respectively and hold the rods to the base 36' of the bracket 36. The clips are held to the base 36 by screws 39 threaded into the base. By loosening the screws 3-8 the rods 34 and 35 may be slid axially to adjust the tank ball further away orclose'r to the bracket 36, for various different size flush vales.

The bracket 36 has depending flanges 40 and 41extending downward in parallel relation. The shaft 33 passes through bores in the flanges 40 and 41 to enable the flanges 40 and 41 and the bracket 36 to pivot relative to the shaft 33. The shaft 33 is fixed to the upright flanges 42 and 43 of the bracket 44.

The bracket 44 is fixed and formed integrally with an L-shaped portion 45. The L-shaped portion 45 is welded to the annular metal collar 46.

The collar 46 surrounds the overflow pipe 26 and has a pair of bolts 47 and 48 threaded into opposite sides of the collar 46 to which may be tightened to engage the outside of the overflow pipe 26. The bolts 47 and 48 may be loosened to adjust the collar upward and downward on the overflow pipe and thereby adjust the tank ball mechanism to diflerent heights for different size flush valves.

The bracket 36 has a flange 49 formed integrally thereto and projecting upward from the bracket 36. A rod 50 is threaded into the flange 49 in fixed relation and projects horizontally when viewed from FIGURES 1-4. A second rod 51 is also threaded into the base 36 of the bracket 36 in fixed relation and projects vertically upward when viewed from FIGURES l-4. The rods 50 and 51 are threaded and adapted to receive disc weights 52 and 53. The weights 52 and 53 have threaded center bores to thread the weights forward and rearward along the rods 50 and 51 respectively.

A pair of springs 54 and 55 have their one ends 54' and 55 wound around the shaft 33 and their other ends projecting forward and upward over the L-shaped bracket 30 and engaging and urging the bracket 30 downward, thereby urging the tank ball 24 downward on seated closed relation with the opening 25 of pipe 23.

Operation The flush valve invention is operated by initially being tripped open in a conventional manner, by means of a trip lever 56 mounted to the outside of the vertical wall 21' of the tank 21. The pivoting of the lever 56 counterclockwise When viewed from FIGURE 1, pivots the rod 57, fixed to the trip lever, upward counterclockwise about the axis of the trip lever. The rod 57 is connected at its outer end 57' by cooperating hook means to the rod 32, so that the pivoting or raising of the rod 57, by the tripping of the trip lever, thereby raises the rod 32.

The raising of the rod 32 raises the L-shaped bracket 30 which raises the tank ball 24. Since rods 34 and 35 connect the L-shaped bracket 30 in fixed relation to the U-bracket 36, the raising of the bracket 30, causes the bracket 30 to pivot upward, counterclockwise about the axis of the shaft 33.

The tripping of the trip lever will raise the U-bracket 30 and tank ball 24 upward from the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 to a position closely adjacent the overflow pipe.

Since the weights 52 and 53 are in fixed relation to the L-bracket 30 and U-bracket 36, the raising of the L- shaped bracket 30 by the trip lever causes the rods 50 and 51 and the weights 52 and 53 to pivot counterclockwise downward from their position illustrated in FIG- URE 2.

Since the trip lever 56 is tripped when it is desired to flush the bowl of the toilet, the water level in the tank will be well above the tank ball 24, and the raising of the tank ball 24 by the trip lever causes the water to drain out of the tank through the flush pipe into the bowl.

The buoyancy of the tank ball 24 will cause the tank ball to remain raised once raised by the trip lever, until the water level has lowered to the level of the tank ball and thereafter the tank ball will move downward with the level of the water as the water level drops below the tank ball. As the tank ball moves downward, the weights S2 and 53 will pivot upward.

The counterbalancing effect of the weight 53 against the springs 54 and 55 will diminish rapidly as the weight 53 approaches vertical to compensate for the diminishing spring tension of the springs 54 and 55 as the tank ball approaches a closed position and thereby enabling the springs to have sufficient spring tension to close the tank ball into the opening 25 and seal the opening, as the water level approaches the level of the opening 25. When the tank ball has completely closed the opening 25, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the weight 53 will have no counterbalancing effect, in relation to the tank ball.

With the fiush valve invention, when the toilet is flushed, the tank ball 24 has air inside, which gives it an upward vertical force when submerged and moves the tank ball upward, with sufficient force to remain upward, once raised by the trip lever. However, as the water level drops to the level of the tank ball this eliminates upward force effect, allowing the tank ball to drop with the water level, when the water level reaches the level of the tank ball. The spring tension without the buoyancy is sufiicient to overcome the counterbalancing effect of the weights and cause and urge the tank ball to drop into the opening 25.

The weights 52 and 53 may be adjusted on the rods 50 and 51 by threading the weights along the rods, to adjust for varying spring tension, and also to adjust for the springs 54 and 55 as they lose tension after extended use.

The flush pipe 23 is secured to the bottom wall 21" of the toilet tank in a conventional manner by means of a conical rubber ring seal 58, which seals the top edges of the opening into the tank bottom wall, and having an enlarged nut 59 which is tightened up against the underforce of the tank bottom Wall 21".

Thus it will be seen that a novel flush valve mechanism has been provided, which will close the flush pipe 23, as the water reaches the level of the opening 25, and will close it in a positive manner.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and accordingly it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically disclosed in the specification or illustrated in the drawings, but only as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toilet tank, a flush valve comprising a pivotally mounted tank ball, a flush pipe having an opening at its top, said tank ball being adapted to pivot into said opening to close said opening, spring means on said tank ball urging said tank ball into a closed position, a plurality of adjustable weights in diverging relation to one another with one of said weights at least approaching a vertical position above the pivotal mounting of the tank ball whenever the tank ball is in its seated position.

2. In a toilet tank having a flush pipe having an upper opening with an offset overflow pipe, a bracket attached to said overflow pipe and vertically adjustable on said pipe, a frame pivotally mounted to said bracket, a tank ball attached to one end of said bracket and adapted to pivot with said frame into said upper opening to close said flush pipe, a pair of rods mounted to said bracket on the opposite end of said bracket, with said rods in perpendicular relation to one another, weights on said rods, one of said rods extending vertically upward over the axis of the pivotal mounting of said bracket, when said tank ball has closed said opening, a pair of springs urging said tank ball closed, means to adjust said tank ball toward and away from the pivotal mounting of said frame.

3. In a toilet tank having a flush pipe with an upper opening and an offset overflow pipe, a bracket having a collar adjustably mounted to said overflow pipe, a support fixed to said collar, a horizontal shaft on said support, a frame adapted to pivot about the axis of said shaft, a tank ball attached to one end of said bracket, and adapted to pivot about said shaft to close said opening, spring means wound around said shaft and extends outward over said tank ball and engaging said frame urging said tank ball and frame to pivot downward, a pair of rods fixed to said frame, with one rod projecting at 180 degrees angle from said tank ball in relation to said shaft and the other rod extending at a degree angle from said tank ball in relation to said shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,418 4/1899 'Croswell 462 936,396 10/1909 Young 463 1,893,202 1/ 1933 Gilmore 4-63 2,270,989 1/1942 Asselin 463 2,731,646 1/1956 Hughes 457 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

A. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A TOILET TANK, A FLUSH VALVE COMPRISING A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TANK BALL, A FLUSH PIPE HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS TOP, SAID TANK BALL BEING ADAPTED TO PIVOT INTO SAID OPENING TO CLOSE SAID OPENING, SPRING MEANS ON SAID TANK BALL URGING SAID TANK BALL INTO A CLOSED POSITION, A PLURALITY OF ADJUSTABLE WEIGHTS IN DIVERGING RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER WITH ONE OF SAID WEIGHTS AT LEAST APPROACHING A VERTICAL POSITION ABOVE THE PIVOTAL MOUNTING OF THE TANK BALL WHENEVER THE TANK BALL IS IN ITS SEATED POSITION. 